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New York Times bestseller • The thrilling true story of one man who risked his life to infiltrate the most dangerous neo-Nazi group in the United States, an “urgent and exciting look into the life of an FBI undercover agent” (Joseph D. Pistone, New York Times bestselling author) by “one of the top undercover agents in the Bureau” (Joaquin “Jack” Garcia, retired FBI agent and New York Times bestselling author).
When Scott Payne was growing up, an ‘80s kid with a big attitude and a taste for sleeveless shirts, he could never have envisioned where he’d find himself on Halloween night 2019. Having transformed into “Pale Horse” and infiltrated the nation’s most dangerous, fastest-growing white supremacy group, The Base, he was huddled with a cell of neo-Nazis in the backwoods of Georgia as they slaughtered a goat and drank its blood in a ritual sacrifice.
A decorated agent dubbed the “Hillbilly Donnie Brasco,” Payne takes readers along with him on some of the most terrifying and riskiest assignments in FBI history. He went deep undercover with the lethal Outlaw Motorcycle Club in Massachusetts; to the front lines of the opioid epidemic in Tennessee; and infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama. Through it all, he stayed married to the love of his life, raised two girls, and spent his Sundays at church, sustained by family and faith.
Timely and unputdownable, Code Name: Pale Horse is a hard look at some of the most pressing threats facing America today. Honest and inspiring, it’s the story of a hero determined to take down a hateful army—before the unthinkable could come to pass.
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"Fascinating story of an undercover FBI agent. Thank you for your service. Well told although I couldn’t keep all the names and nicknames straight. And while I understood this agent’s need for belief in a higher power (I do not), the religious references became tiresome for me personally. In spite of that, I have a deep appreciation of the author and his family’s sacrifice."
— Tontitown (5 out of 5 stars)
“Payne’s firsthand experience puts readers in the front row, observing the setbacks, triumphs, and inner workings of undercover operations. An enlightening, harrowing, and ultimately fulfilling read.”
— Booklist“His tough-as-nails account…intimates that there’s plenty more to be done to curb supremacist radicalism, now in the ascendant…An eye-opening look at the small but eminently dangerous radical right-wing fringe out there in the shadows.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Payne nimbly juggles a pulse-pounding account of his undercover efforts with a poignant glimpse at the toll his work took on his wife and young daughter.”
— Publishers Weekly" Riveting as the subject materials just so damn compelling, worth a listen and glad he's done audio for his own book. "
— Dean, 5/21/2025Scott Payne is a retired FBI special agent who spent twenty-eight years in law enforcement investigating cases against drug trafficking organizations, human traffickers, outlaw motorcycle clubs, gangs, public corruption, and domestic terrorists. He was also a SWAT team operator and instructor for firearms, tactics, and undercover operations.